Chief updates council on fires

July 10, 2012

File photo by Joseph Bell â€“ Members of the Johnsonburg Borough Council discussed the two recent fires in town during their meeting Monday evening.

JOHNSONBURG â€“ Johnsonburg Fire Chief Bob Dickey updated the Johnsonburg Borough Council during their regular meeting Monday on two fires that recently have been a cause for alarm to many of the residents within the borough of Johnsonburg and surrounding areas.
The first fire Dickey touched on was at the Old Johnsonburg Hotel along East Center Street that was reported to have ignited at approximately 9 a.m. on Thursday, June 28.
According to Dickey, the fire began earlier in the night.
"It was reported at 9 a.m. Thursday morning, but the fire actually started earlier in the night and smoldered all night," Dickey said. "That fire was smoldering for nine or 10 hours before it finally broke out. We had the fire marshal in and he came up and took samples and sent them away to the lab but I have not heard anything back from them."
No injuries were reported from the small fire that took about 15 minutes to extinguish.
Dickey reminded council that the hotel caught fire nearly a year ago on June 23 as fire units responded to a small basement fire in the unoccupied building.
"They started it in the dining room opposite of where the fire was last June and it smoldered in the rug and the flooring for quite a while because there were three 2x12's that were completely burnt through so that fire smoldered all night until they noticed Thursday morning," Dickey said.
Dickey also acknowledged the borough crew and superintendent Tom Imbrogno for assistance in the removal of the roof of the St. Joe's Club in Johnsonburg which went up in flames early Monday morning on July 2.
"I would like to [acknowledge] the borough crew and Tommy [Imbrogno] for their help in bringing the backhoe down and getting the roof tore down so we could get to the hot spots. As of right now I don't know who the ownership of the building belongs to, it is still being checked into."
Borough Manager Mary Polaski said Borough Solicitor Elizabeth Feronti is looking into the ownership of the building.
Dickey said the fire is still under investigation.
"I talked to Greg Agosti [Pa. State Police Fire Marshal] the other day," Dickey said. "They did bring the dog in that night out of Williamsport but they didn't find any accelerant. The dog couldn't really hit on anything and I haven't heard anything more on that."

Pick up a copy of the Wednesday, July 11, 2012 edition of The Ridgway Record for more.